Standard hardware and seals accounted for 45% of the global Top 50 parts searches in August 2026 — the category's highest share of the year and well above the previous peak of 26% recorded in June, according to marketplace data from Locatory.com. In North America the same category reached 48%, surpassing its March high of 32%.

August was the most active search month of 2026 on the platform, a signal that sourcing activity was already building ahead of the heavier autumn and winter maintenance period.

"With new aircraft entering fleets more slowly than planned, operators remained dependent on existing assets at a point when many were already operating at high utilization," Locatory.com's reports state. "Against this backdrop, Locatory.com aviation marketplace activity accelerated rather than eased."

Why did fasteners and seals dominate?

High-specification fastener families — NAS, MS and OEM-specific hardware — carry qualification requirements that limit substitution when shortages hit. Alternative sources depend on:

• Qualified manufacturers
• Controlled materials
• Heat treatment
• Plating
• Coating

"As a result, shortages of individual fasteners can disrupt aircraft production or maintenance when an approved substitute is not available," the reports note. "Industry supply-chain outlooks expect these qualification and capacity constraints to remain relevant through at least 2027."

The most-searched items in the category were frequently consumed maintenance material: rivets (2600545, CR3522-5-03), collars (BACC30M6, HL97-6), bolts (BACB30PN14-32M, 145-525-9202) and seals and gaskets (FA261-51100-000, NSA360040-8614, 771884).

How tight is the landing-gear market?

Airframe and landing gear components reached a new high of 24% of global searches, against 13% in North America. The concentration reflects scarcity rather than routine consumption.

Locatory.com's reports cite Aviation Week findings that secondary-market availability for A320neo and 737 MAX landing gear has become extremely limited, with only an estimated 7–9 A320neo landing-gear shipsets available globally. "Operators are consequently planning major landing-gear requirements further in advance as the first larger wave of new-generation narrowbody overhauls approaches," the reports state.

Global searches in this category cluster around the A320 family: nose and main landing-gear wheel assemblies (3-1531-3, C20500100), a carbon brake assembly (C20534100), a bearing (201587209) and formed-aluminum structural stock (ABS5310-01). North American searches diverged, centering on widebody items including a Boeing 767 latch assembly (91049-18) and a 777 repair filler (675W0003-1).

What did engine component searches show?

Engine components made up 16% of global searches — the lowest concentration of the year — but 25% of North American searches, broadly consistent with July.

"Unlike Airframe and Landing Gear, the category was not driven by one aircraft or engine family," Locatory.com experts note. The most-searched parts spanned a CFM56-5B bolt (83769H16-14), an ignition plug (305766-1), a piston ring (3179816-1), a CF6-80 drain can (1775M13G03) and a pump assembly (63508412-1). North America-only outliers included a PW4000 EGT harness (23830-000) and a rotor (750574-3).

Electrical, power, APU and avionics parts combined accounted for 10% of searches in both data sets, led by a solenoid electrical assembly (63000933-1) and a resolver assembly (4039572-5). Cabin and safety components held a 4% share with no clear outliers.

What does this mean for MROs?

Locatory.com expects demand to keep rising as the industry moves into the Northern Hemisphere winter maintenance season. DAE Engineering has described its 2026-27 winter maintenance pipeline as robust, and European airlines have been securing additional internal and third-party MRO capacity for peak periods.

"Less predictable turnaround times and rising material costs are pushing operators to plan maintenance inputs and material requirements further in advance," the experts note. Heavy checks generate demand across standard hardware, structural parts, wheels, electrical LRUs and engine accessories — and inspections routinely uncover removals that were unknown when the aircraft entered the hangar, adding pressure on short-notice sourcing and exchange inventories into the winter season.